Stef Ann Holm by Lucy Back (books to read in your 30s TXT) 📗

in his head. She wondered what he was going to get her. Last year he’d bought her hand-crafted jewelry that she really liked, and had taken her to Seattle for the weekend. Funny how that coincided with the Mariners game they went to. But she hadn’t complained. She loved that crystal bracelet he’d got her from Sunshine’s. Sunshine was a former hippy turned actress who’d retired from Hollywood and now sold one-of-a-kind things from her shop on Main Street.

“I know it’s your birthday, babe.” Drew drank his coffee and gazed at her over the rim. “You think I’ve got numb-chucks for a brain?”

“No.” She slipped her shoe out of his pant leg when he didn’t move to continue the game. This was getting harder and harder. She used to be able to seduce him without even trying.

She must have been pouting because he reached over, took her hand and kissed her fingers. “You look nice today.”

That’s all it took. She lit up inside like a Fourth of July display, and that got her through their breakfast with an optimistic smile that said they’d be having dessert at her place.

Opal cleared their plates, then topped off Drew’s coffee. She went to do the same for hers, but Jacquie put her hand over the rim. “Opal, we need the check. We’ve got to get going.”

Drew didn’t say anything to the contrary. He pulled out his wallet, put his credit card on the table. Of all the days not to pay in cash. Now Opal would have to run the card.

“I got it, baby,” Jacquie said, sliding the plastic back to him. “Business breakfast. Tax deduction.”

She opened her purse, grabbed a couple of bills from her wallet and tossed them onto the table. Her butt was sliding across the crumb-dusted booth as she spoke. “I need your opinion on something at my house.”

Drew didn’t make a move to get up. “Yeah, what?”

“I’m hanging a new painting and I want you to tell me if you think it looks good over the fireplace.”

“Hell, Jacquie, I don’t know anything about decorating.”

“Of course you do.” She stood over him now, her hand reaching out to him. “You have an eye for everything. Your house is disgusting.”

And she didn’t mean that in a negative way. It was disgusting because the man had a knack for knowing just how to furnish and decorate without overdoing it. His home was made up of dark woods, four fireplaces and a kitchen that any gourmet would kill to have. And Drew could do a pretty good job of cooking, too.

The man was multifaceted, but completely irritating to her just this exact second. She was all but ripping her clothes off in front of him and he was dragging his feet.

“I can’t stay long,” he told her, acquiescing.

Bingo!

She didn’t need a long time. He knew exactly what to do and he did it well.

As they headed for the door, Drew paused. “Forgot something.”

From inside the kitchen, Opal’s face appeared through the pass-through window. She was talking to one of the cooks, a lit cigarette wagging from the corner of her lipsticked mouth. Drew waved her over.

“Yes, Drew?” She all but panted, probably burned the rubber soles on her Keds to get to him so fast.

“I need you to bag up a dozen biscuits and throw in some of that special clover honey.”

Hesitation marked Opal’s heavily powdered face, her tomato-red lipstick glossy as if she’d just applied a fresh coat before crushing out her cigarette. “Now, Drew…if these are for Ada, she told me she’s on South Beach and she can’t eat them.”

“Right. She mentioned that. So I’ll tell you what, only bag up a half dozen.”

Opal was appeased by the compromise, a broad smile breaking out on her face. “Now that’s an excellent idea. I’ll be right back.”

Jacquie folded her arms beneath her breasts. Now she had to stand around and wait for biscuits. If she thought Drew would meet her at her house, she’d leave him and make a mad dash for her car to light up and smoke a quick one. But she knew from past experience that if she didn’t hang on to him while she had him in her sights, somebody would come into Opal’s, or wherever, start talking to him, and he’d get sidetracked at someone’s table before he remembered where he was headed. And at that point, he’d blow off meeting her, knowing she’d be hot under the collar by then.

Sometimes Jacquie felt as if she couldn’t win for losing, and the frustration was giving her early wrinkles.

Stepping in closer, she put her arm around Drew, gave him a hug and tried a different tactic. “You’re so good to Ada to buy her biscuits. You know you burn her leather when you park on her property.”

A lopsided grin caught on Drew’s mouth. “Yeah, I know. But it’s a love thing. She loves me. And I love her.”

The way Drew could say he loved somebody so casual-like had Jacquie’s arm slowly sliding down his strong and muscular back. Another fraction of an inch and she’d be disconnected from him. A part of her wanted to end this. Right now. She couldn’t hang on for much longer. But every time she thought she had the courage, she thought about how much she’d already invested, and she hated to go back to square one.

The hideous truth was, Drew Tolman floated her boat. The man just did it for her…and at one time, she’d done it for him.

Maybe he didn’t find her attractive enough anymore.

As she thought about booking a spa package in Timberline for the full works—facial, exfoliation, body wrap, manicure, pedicure and massage, the sleigh bells chimed over the diner’s front door.

A woman and two boys came in. She had her hand on the youngest’s shoulder, but when she tried to do likewise with the oldest, he shrugged away. The woman managed to keep her half smile, although it was looking a little broken.

Jacquie noticed other women. It